Thursday, 5 February 2009

Who Will Share Fruits Of Our Sins?

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/
Once there lived a hunter called Ratnakara, who used to loot and harm the people passing through the jungle. The merciful sage, Sri Narada Muni met him and asked him why he was comitting the sinful act of robbery. Ratnakara justified that he had to do this for the sake of feeding his family members and so there is nothing wrong in doing the same. Narada Muni informed him that whatever he was doing was definitely a sinful activity and that he would have to face the reactions for the same all alone. Ratnakar was claiming that he was performing these activities out of love for his family and so his family members would definitely support him in sharing the reactions for these sinful acts. Narada Muni asked him to go and check with his family members whether they would share the fruits of his sins - just like the way they had been enjoying the fruits of his robbery. But to his surprise when Ratnakar went home and checked with his family members, neither his wife, nor his children, or parents were ready to share his sins.

Then Ratnakar went back to Narada Muni and humbly inquired from him as to how he could be relieved of the sinful reactions. Narada Muni taught him the sacred name of 'Rama' and asked him to sit in meditation, chanting the name of Rama, till the time Narada came back. Ratnakara followed the instructions and kept sitting in a meditative posture for years, during which his body got completely covered by an anthill. At last, Narada came to see him and removed all the anthills from his body. Then, he told Ratnakara that his tapasya (meditation) paid off and that the Lord was pleased with him. Ratnakara was bestowed with the honor of a Brahmarshi and given the name of Valmiki, since he was reborn from the Valmika (the ant-hill).

Just like the hunter Ratnakar in the above story, many a times in our life, we also involve ourselves in various kinds of sinful activities in the name of doing it for the sake of our family and friends. But we should remember that the we alone are going to be the sufferers for whatever sins we do. In Srimad Bhagavatam Akrura while advising Dhrtarashtra says in verse 10.49.21

ekah prasuyate jantur / eka eva praliyate
eko 'nubhuńkte sukrtam / eka eva ca dushkrtam


"Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds."


So for the sake of pleasing our senses or the senses of family members and friends, we should not engage in sinful activities. For whatever activity we are doing here is noted in our account of good and bad deeds and we alone have to experience the rewards of those actions. No other living entity will be ready to share the reward for our sinful actions. Even if people are willing to help, it is practically impossible for them to share our sins as confirmed in the above verse. As taught by Sri Narada Muni, chanting of Lord's holy names alone can save us from this vicious cycles of action and reactions, birth and death etc. Remembering the eternal truth that we would be travelling all alone in our final journey, let us intensify our devotional service, by practising to chant the Lord's names sincerely, so that we can blissfully reach the supreme destination without any fear.

Does this teaching go, that for sins, the robber does meditation and good works, in order to come back to the normal or the right way?

He does not repay? Does his conscience become clear?

Not just any meditation or good works, but specifically "Narada Muni taught him the
sacred name of 'Rama' and asked him to sit in meditation, chanting the name of Rama"

After you have thoroughly cleansed yourself
with a bath, who is there to repay?

"Then, he told Ratnakara that his tapasya (meditation) paid off and that the Lord was pleased with him."